Nick Dawson
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- September 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780813125381
- eISBN:
- 9780813135267
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Kentucky
- DOI:
- 10.5810/kentucky/9780813125381.003.0012
- Subject:
- Film, Television and Radio, Film
This chapter examines Hal Ashby's second directorial assignment in Harold and Maude. It discusses Ashby's directorial style and the deterioration in his relationship with Joan Marshall. Though it is ...
More
This chapter examines Hal Ashby's second directorial assignment in Harold and Maude. It discusses Ashby's directorial style and the deterioration in his relationship with Joan Marshall. Though it is unclear when they filed for divorce, Ashby and Joan received a final judgment of dissolution of marriage on May 26, 1971. Ashby's second film, being so steeped in death, was booked by student film societies and repertory cinemas and gradually became a cult phenomenon.Less
This chapter examines Hal Ashby's second directorial assignment in Harold and Maude. It discusses Ashby's directorial style and the deterioration in his relationship with Joan Marshall. Though it is unclear when they filed for divorce, Ashby and Joan received a final judgment of dissolution of marriage on May 26, 1971. Ashby's second film, being so steeped in death, was booked by student film societies and repertory cinemas and gradually became a cult phenomenon.
Nick Dawson
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- September 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780813125381
- eISBN:
- 9780813135267
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University Press of Kentucky
- DOI:
- 10.5810/kentucky/9780813125381.001.0001
- Subject:
- Film, Television and Radio, Film
Hal Ashby (1929–1988) was always an outsider, and as a director he brought an outsider's perspective to Hollywood cinema. After moving to California from a Mormon household in Utah, he created ...
More
Hal Ashby (1929–1988) was always an outsider, and as a director he brought an outsider's perspective to Hollywood cinema. After moving to California from a Mormon household in Utah, he created eccentric films that reflected the uncertain social climate of the 1970s. Whether it is his enduring cult classic Harold and Maude (1971) or the iconic Being There (1979), Ashby's artistry is unmistakable. His skill for blending intense drama with off-kilter comedy attracted A-list actors and elicited powerful performances from Jack Nicholson in The Last Detail (1973), Warren Beatty and Julie Christie in Shampoo (1975), and Jon Voight and Jane Fonda in Coming Home (1979). Yet the man behind these films is still something of a mystery. This book tells the story of a man whose thoughtful and challenging body of work continues to influence modern filmmakers and whose life was as dramatic and unconventional as his films. Although his name may not be recognized by many of today's filmgoers, Hal Ashby is certainly familiar to filmmakers. Despite his untimely death in 1988, his legacy of innovation and individuality continues to influence a generation of independent directors, including Wes Anderson, Sean Penn, and the Coen brothers, who place substance and style above the pursuit of box-office success.Less
Hal Ashby (1929–1988) was always an outsider, and as a director he brought an outsider's perspective to Hollywood cinema. After moving to California from a Mormon household in Utah, he created eccentric films that reflected the uncertain social climate of the 1970s. Whether it is his enduring cult classic Harold and Maude (1971) or the iconic Being There (1979), Ashby's artistry is unmistakable. His skill for blending intense drama with off-kilter comedy attracted A-list actors and elicited powerful performances from Jack Nicholson in The Last Detail (1973), Warren Beatty and Julie Christie in Shampoo (1975), and Jon Voight and Jane Fonda in Coming Home (1979). Yet the man behind these films is still something of a mystery. This book tells the story of a man whose thoughtful and challenging body of work continues to influence modern filmmakers and whose life was as dramatic and unconventional as his films. Although his name may not be recognized by many of today's filmgoers, Hal Ashby is certainly familiar to filmmakers. Despite his untimely death in 1988, his legacy of innovation and individuality continues to influence a generation of independent directors, including Wes Anderson, Sean Penn, and the Coen brothers, who place substance and style above the pursuit of box-office success.
